NHTSA Complaint #10033512 — 2000 FORD EXPEDITION

I PURCHASED A NEW FORD EXPEDITION IN AUGUST 2000. AT TIME OF PURCHASE I NOTICED THAT A NOISY MOTOR WOULD RUN UNDER THE HOOD FOR 30-45 SECONDS. THIS RATTLING NOISE WAS AUDIBLE WITHIN THE VEHICLE. I QUESTIONED THIS NOISE TO THE SALES PERSON. HE SAID IT WAS THE COMPRESSOR OF THE SUSPENSION LEVELING SYSTEM AND WAS NORMAL. SEVERAL MONTHS PASSED WITH THE SAME NOISE BEING HEARD AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE OR WHILE DRIVING. DURING THE FIRST MAINTENANCE APPOINTMENT I QUESTIONED THIS NOISY COMPRESSOR AGAIN. THE MECHANIC SAID, EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD, NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, IT'S COMMON FOR THE EXPEDITIONS TO DO THIS. I QUESTIONED THIS COMPRESSOR NOISE EACH TIME I TOOK IT IN FOR SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE. AS ALWAYS, I WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. I WAS CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BECAUSE IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM NORMAL FOR THIS NOISE TO HAPPEN CONSTANTLY. ON FEBRUARY 9, 2002 I HAD TWO RECALLS PERFORMED. ONCE AGAIN I HAD THE DEALERSHIP CHECK THE NOISY COMPRESSOR. THE WORK ORDERED STATED, CK AIR RIDE AIR PUMP & CUSTOMER STATES PUMP IS VERY NOISY. MECHANIC INDICATED, CKD & NO ABNORMAL NOISES AT THIS TIME. ON JULY 28, 2003 THE SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR FINALLY STOPPED WORKING. A NEW SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR WAS INSTALLED. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE OLD COMPRESSOR WAS BURNED OUT AND MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. I TOLD HIM THAT IT ALWAYS MADE THAT RATTLING NOISE. HE STATED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG BEFORE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE THE NOISE NOW. THIS COMPRESSOR WAS THE MOTOR THAT CONSTANTLY MADE NOISE FROM DAY ONE. YET I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. IF NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, THEN WHY IS IT SILENT NOW WHEN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS ACTIVATES. A MAJOR FATALITY COULD HAVE OCCURRED HAD I BEEN DRIVING 65 MILES PER HOUR. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ONLY DRIVING AWAY FROM A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILED. I'M STILL PARANOID AFTER HAVING THIS REPAIRED. I'M ALWAYS QUESTIONING, WHEN WILL THE SUSPENSION FAIL? *NLM